Haiti Families "Will Not be Forcibly Evicted"

Victory

May 25, 2012

Haiti Families "Will Not be Forcibly Evicted"

A representative of the man claiming to be the landowner of Grace Village camp in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince has promised that residents will be not be forcibly evicted. There are still concerns for the security of the camp’s residents.

Following a request for a meeting, on 22 May an Amnesty International delegation which is currently in Haiti met with a representative of the man claiming to be the owner of the land where Grace Village camp, in the Carrefour area of Metropolitan Port-au-Prince, is located. The representative claimed that residents living in 14 tents that have been marked for demolition were actually being moved to another part of the camp, and gave assurances that no residents would be forcibly evicted from the camp. According to the representative, the approximately 30 shelters that had been demolished during the night of 28 April were unoccupied, but this has been refuted by camp residents.

He also rejected claims that residents were being denied access to drinking water and claimed that waste was appropriately disposed of each month, but a big heap of rubbish was being burnt on site at the time of the Amnesty International delegates’ visit to the camp. The representative also claimed that the 10pm curfew was in place for the inhabitants’ safety and the entry permits which they are forced to carry is used to ensure that non-residents do not access the site, again for security reasons.

Amnesty International nevertheless remains concerned that camp residents may continue to be threatened and intimidated by armed security guards and the camp manager employed by the alleged landowner. Amnesty International is currently stopping this action but will be monitoring the situation closely with the help of local partners. The organization reiterates its calls for the families of Grace Village camp to be provided with a durable solution to their housing needs. The residents wish to leave the land they are currently occupying but any relocation process must respect their rights to adequate housing and not to be subjected to forced evictions.

No more action is required from the Urgent Action Network at this time. Many thanks to all of those who sent appeals. Amnesty International will continue to monitor the situation and will take further action if necessary.

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